The Road to Financial Security

Pushkin

Hi Wantabetterlife - I don't think I'll tell me DH that or he may well change his mind although to be honest I think I would miss it as much as him.

Pushkin

Just noticed I have 20,000 views - do I get some sort of badge for that?

So today I've had the burly men round to remove the brick grave yard and flatten the area ready for the garden office. They did a cracking job although were a lot quicker than I expected which makes me think the quote was actually a little high - ah well it's done now.

The electrician is doing his third (and final) day tomorrow and the scope includes changing the consumer unit (or something like that) - I just hope the electric isn't off for too long although I have purposefully not scheduled any conference calls in case I am without power.

Foundations of office are due to be laid on 10 March followed the building itself the week after - that bit takes 2 days - so whole new room in 3 days total elapsed time - hopefully!

I should be excited but am still nervous about everything going smoothly and there being no disappointment with this room.

Pushkin

Mega stressful day, electrician was here with the intention of replacing the consumer unit and doing some test on our circuits etc. Power was turned off although he did kindly provide me access to wifi and power for my work laptop so I was still able to work.

After 5 hours of tests and checks he told me that he couldn't replace the unit, we have only one mains ring but its huge and has a ring within it and something about a lost or broken earth. Honestly he might have been talking Japanese to me! Kept saying there are some problems here. Struggled to get hold of DH (who is working in London) but managed it and DH and electrician agreed he will come back again next week to set up a temp power supply for the garden office and that he will do us a quote for both a partial and a full rewire.

I hate having workmen in, hate it more when I don't understand what they are telling me and can't answer their questions. I foolishly thought would still have heating but of course the boiler is powered by electric so had no heating all day (trying to think of the silver lining as we spent less!) and I dread to think how much extra all this is going to cost. So juggling that with work - or to be honest making it look like I was working meant a tough day mentally.

Am sure I'll feel better when DH gets home and explains this to me and in the great scheme of things if we have to spend some money to upgrade the electrics then so be it - it's a kind of a necessary service.

No sign of my bank card either so looks like more spending on the credit card coming up - DS needs new school shoes, need to get him a few more bits for his birthday next week and I need to get a mothers day present.

TFI! :beer:

Pushkin

Big splurge in the shops this morning. Have been feeling so low with my failure with losing weight and having very little to wear. I sometimes think it's a vicious circle and thought if I try and make more effort it might have a knock on effect - feel better and then eat better etc. That's my excuse anyway!

Having said that I didn't try it all on so some of it may go back!

Got last few bits for DS's birthday and also got something for my mum for Mother's Day next weekend.

I also passed Sharps and popped in there and ended up booking them to come and quote for fitted furniture for our bedroom. Am in two minds about it as I think they'll do the hard sell and have a pricing structure which requires a degree in further maths to understand but it's a start and the whole project ha certainly stalled of late.

Lovely weather here - shame to be having to do housework!

Pushkin

I finally have my new bank card!!!! Will be testing it works today when I take DS t get him some new school shoes.

DH is very jealous as the new card has contactless payment on it -he has requested that from his bank and been told he can't have it because he doesn't live in London. He does however work in London 90% of the time! To be honest it scares me so not sure I'll use it nor if it's even available where we live as we are 30 miles outside London.

Financial Bits
Have a couple of things I want to post on ebay
Do some more surveys - am plugging away ever few days
Search out new NISA for FY16 and work out what goes where - my dog savings account interest rate drops through the floor this month so I need to close it and find something else.

None of this comes natural to me and I get quite confused by it but DH is tbh even worse and someone has to do it.

Pushkin

Grrr am now having issues with my new bank card. It works fine in shops & I have taken cash out with it. However I can't use it on line - there is some extra security that V1sa put on and it is asking me to re-register then coming up with an error message. Have tried several times and just can't see what I'm doing wrong.

So another week's on line supermarket shop on my cc - and and I need to build up the energy to ring the bank.

Just feel like life is so overly complicated sometimes - is this a sign of ageing?

Pushkin

More moaning I'm afraid.....

Foundation put in for garden office today, it's really high and dopey me didn't really ask why that was necessary - anyway we will need to get a step built - garden office company have quoted £780 for this - ouch!

After they finished the electrician turned up to fit the consumer box to connect the office - he wasn't happy about how far forward the office is placed and thinks maybe the cable he laid is now in the wrong place - I honestly despair.

He also turned the power off for another hour, have found it very stressful juggling all this while trying to work.

I just hope it will all be worth it in the end and we are pleased with the room once it's finished.

Pushkin

Decided to go for the full length step on the garden office, it's a big unexpected spend but I feel if we just got the small one in front of the door it would irk me every time I looked at it. The amount we are spending it's worth doing it properly.

So office is due to be installed next Wed/Thurs which I'm finally starting to feel excited about.

Once it's in we need to get it furnished & buy a new telly for it. Then it will be onto the garden and getting that sorted out.

Electrician is back Monday 23 to do some wiring work but OH has taken the day off work to be here and keep on top of things, shame he has to waste a day's leave to do this but given my lack of both understanding and interest in it all I am mighty relieved.

Ready meal for dinner tonight as I never feel like cooking on Friday, probably do a takeaway or go out tomorrow as it's DS's birthday. Parents over Sunday as its Mother's Day.

Usual domestic chores this weekend, got Sharps coming tomorrow to do a design & quote for fitted furniture in the bedroom. Also need to get DS's ski clothes as he's off in less than 3 weeks now.

Where is the year going?

So lots of spends but I did set up a new regular payment into my Stocks & Shares ISA starting end March - haven't paid anything into this for about 14 years ! Finally feel we have enough back up savings to start paying a bit (and it is a small amount) into it each month.

Happy Weekend folks!

QB_Wolf

Wow that sounds like a lot of money for a step. Sounds like it's coming on nicely though, I think Mrs QBW would like a garden office.

Pushkin

@ QB Wolf - yes I was somewhat shocked by the price - the garden office is a wooden building and we did pay extra for the porch decking bit to be some kind of non slip composite so I expect thats part of it.

Haircut this morning followed a trip to the shops to get DS's last few bits for his ski trip. It was difficult to find stuff as its so late in the season - had to go to 3 shops. However we had success in the last one and got the jacket £120 reduced to £50 and trousers £79 reduced to £50. Hopefully we have struck the right balance between getting decent stuff but for the cheapest price possible as not sure he'll ever go again!

Had a cheeky lunch out and then DS & DH had a half hour on their own at their request. All about as subtle as a brick since DH asked me outright yesterday what I wanted for Mothers Day. Am half angry and half charmed by the desperate last minute disorganisation!